Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews Review

About the Book ~

Survival. A Hebrew girl first tasted the need of it when she escaped death nearly seventy years ago as the Babylonian army ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. She honed her skill while living among the Medes, bowing her knee to both gods and men.

Now, as Daniel's wife and matriarch of her family, Belili things she's safe and can live out her days in Babylon without fear -- until the night Daniel is escorted to King Belshazzar's palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. On that very night, the Medo-Persian Army invades, and Belili's tightly-wound secrets begin to unravel.

As Yahweh's sovereign hand guides Jerusalem's exiles to the end of captivity, can the frightened Hebrew girl break the chains of survival and dare to live in truth? And how will the conqueror, King Darius, respond to Babylon's longest-living wise man, a man who prays to Yahweh alone? Experience, with Daniel and Belili, the majesty and splendor of Yahweh, the God of fire and lions.

For more information about Mesu Andrews and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Guys, Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews took stories of faith and deliverance that I have been reading my entire life and paired them with a fictional journey of unrelenting, freeing, and redeeming love, bringing the story of Daniel to life in a whole new way! Truly, this beautiful story will move many hearts with the abundance of truths waiting within it's lovely pages!

Daniel and Belili's love story is full of pain, secrets, and -- at long last! -- freedom! Even though the novel spans almost seventy years, I really felt like I knew the characters. The author didn't paint Daniel as an infallible hero of faith -- and I greatly appreciated that! In fact, I wanted to shake some sense into him a couple of times! Daniel is portrayed as a realistic man with desires, hurts, and fears in addition to the faith we know so well from the Bible! Belili's journey deeply moved me, and I found myself crying for her and rejoicing for her. Each facet of her progression as a character was realistic as she made her way from child to matriarch, from orphaned slave to cherished daughter of God, from a life of sin and secrets to one lived in truth and love!

I love Biblical Fiction because Biblical truths come alive with the power of story, and Of Fire and Lions does this so well! If I had to boil the spiritual theme of this book down to one line, it would be when Daniel says (and I'm paraphrasing) that the comfortable has made them afraid to trust God for the uncomfortable. Whether it's for supernatural protection, divine arrangement of events, or revealing painful secrets, this truth is evident throughout the story.

Four Stars ~ Of Fire and Lions will leave you breathless as you travel this fictional story of redeeming love that parallels the real accounts found in the book of Daniel in the Bible! Of Fire and Lions is the second novel in the author's Of Prophets and Kings Series, but readers will have no issue reading it as a standalone! I can honestly say that whatever Mesu Andrews writes, I want to read it! I can't wait for her next epic story!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

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Review of Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

About the Book ~

In this epic Biblical narrative, ideal for fans of The Bible miniseries, a young woman taken into the prophet Isaiah's household rises to capture the heart of the future king.

Isaiah adopts Ishma, giving her a new name--Zibah, delight of the Lord--thereby ensuring her royal pedigree. Ishma came to the prophet's home, devastated after watching her family destroyed and living as a captive. But as the years pass, Zibah's lively spirit wins Prince Hezekiah's favor, a boy determined to rebuild the kingdom his father has nearly destroyed. But loving this man will awake in her all the fears and pain of her past and she must turn to the only One who can give life, calm her fears, and deliver a nation.

For more information about Mesu Andrews and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

If you love stories that open the Bible to you in a whole new way, then Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews needs to be added to your mountainous - I'm assuming - TBR pile! ;-)

Do NOT miss this story!

Isaiah's Daughter starts while Ishma/Zibah and Hezekiah are young, giving us backstory and young love, and it ends in the last fifteen years of Hezekiah's life. These pages are filled with triumph, devastation, sickening sin, and beautiful revelations. The characters, their hearts, and God's loving truth will stay with you long after you shut the cover.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the prophecies and seeing how the characters applied them to their everyday lives, while also looking to the future. Isn't that what we do? We look at a verse that was written or prophesied to someone long ago a hundred different times, then BAM! Meaning and life flow from it like a spring. It is the Living Word of God, after all! <3

Bookish friends, remember that this story is Biblical Fiction. In her Author's Note, Mesu Andrews shares with readers some of her research, timeline frustrations, and areas where she took artistic license. She has stayed true to the Bible, but has pieced the information together in a way that we may not have considered before now. And it is truly breathtaking!

Five Stars ~ Isaiah's Daughter does not disappoint! While it's not necessary to read Love in a Broken Vessel first, I thoroughly enjoyed being reunited with beloved characters from that story! However, Isaiah's Daughter is an excellent stand-alone story!

I received a copy of Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews from WaterBrook & Multnomah. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.